9 til 5
by cheeses
Summary: You go on holiday to relax, not to end up working in a restaurant and trying to hide from half the staff for kicking a waiter in the face. Russo family holidays never turn out right. Stalex. Stalex!
1. Chapter 1

**Yes, another Stalex story from me. This is going to be a short one, I just need to pass the time.**

* * *

The country air was almost toxic to Alex's city lungs.

Carrying a grey duffel bag over one shoulder and holding her mobile in search of signal in the other, Alex soon made the assumption, this years holiday was going to be the worst to date.

"Just think, we're going to come away from here, healthy" Theresa opened her arms to welcome the ranch holiday park as they approached it.

Justin walked like a drunk, swatting away flies and spraying himself with bug repellent, his attack on nature was effecting his balance down the dusty, dirt track.

"If Justin doesn't quit it, I'm gonna walk away from here dead" Max complained, coughing as he got most of the spray as the summer breeze directed the sticky repellent backwards.

"Max, you can't walk away if you're dead" Justin snapped, hindering his spraying at his brother's complaint.

Jerry was lagging behind them, lugging Theresa's bags as well as his own. Large sweat patches had formed on his blue polo shirt, his laboured breathing was enough to pass him as a mule.

Alex groaned in frustration as her signal bars blacked out and her network disconnected.

"How am I supposed to call Harper?" Alex snapped, kicking a pebble in irritation, the tiny rock spat up a small cloud of dust. "Besides, what are we gonna do out here?"

"Activities" Theresa beamed and was the first of the four to walk through the ranch entrance.

_Ranch-O-camp_

The carved wood lettering was faded and the once golden 'O' hung off. Alex pushed her shades up her nose, the building sweat had made the bridge of the glasses slip.

"Ranch- O -camp... ranch- O- I'm out of here" Alex grumbled and went to turn when Jerry thrust a bag at her feet.

"You" _pant _"Arn't" _pant_ "going any" _pant_ "where" Jerry's red face, blotched with sweat from the bath of heat they'd decided to walk through.

"You know, you don't appreciate the natural land" Theresa snapped back at Alex.

"If that's natural, then I don't want to live on this planet" Alex jerked her thumb at Jerry who was now wheezing.

"Jerry, honey" Theresa began but was cut off as a large, brawny man wearing a cowboy hat and spurs hobbled up to them.

"Ye, doggy it's good to see ya'll" he was red in the face and his moustache moved as he spoke.

"Oh, hello" Theresa beamed.

"So you fellas must be the Russo's?"

"Yeah" Justin cut in, spluttering as a fly crossed his path.

"Follow me to you're cabin"

His spurs glinted in the sun and jingled as he walked further into the mock western village.

Alex looked around her, trees, all she saw was trees.

Her green, towering enemies, stealing her reception.

"Bikes?" Max almost ran after a few teens hurtling past on them.

"Yeah boy, got us some brand new bikes" his jolly act was wearing on Alex's patience.

Alex watched as the two teens rode of, she was in hell, surrounded by people her age, with her family, no reception and humidity to made cactus cry... it was her personal hell.

"Cabin 3-5-1" he handed Theresa the key and patted Jerry on the shoulder as he walked off, knocking the man off balance for a second.

"Thanks" Jerry panted and dumped the bags on the porch. He staggered onto the bench that rested under the right window and sighed.

"Need, water" he gasped and Theresa opened the cabin. She was hit with a wall of heat as the door creaked open.

Alex stood at the foot of the door and watched as her Mother made the brave first step into the place they'd be living for two weeks.

"It's nice" she put her hands on her hips and blew stray strands of hair from her face. A log fire place sat in her corner of the room, two sofas rested around the fire place.

The kitchen sat a few paces away, all of the furnishing was wood.

Four doors then lead off from the main room.

Alex pushed past Theresa and pushed the first door she saw open.

A double bed, air conditioning and a tv, it was hers.

"I take this room" Alex sat stubbornly on the bed and stared out to the rest of her family.

"Eh, Alex, no" Jerry stood in the door way and crossed his arms, his face had reduced to a blotchy pink.

"What! But..."

"Out kido"

Jerry stood aside and watched as Alex walked from the room, grumbling.

Justin and Max had decided to take the room with the bunk beds, leaving Alex with either the bathroom as an option or the small room tucked away in the far left of the cabin.

Alex pushed the door open with a creak and grimaced.

A single bed sat against the wall, the window was littered with squished flies, no air conditioning or curtains like the other rooms.

"How I am I supposed to sleep in here?"  
"Easy" Justin smirked at her and lent on the door frame. "You get in the bed and close your eyes"

"Shut up" Alex shot him a glare and dumped her bag on the bed, it creaked with the weight. "Just dandy" she sneered and glanced at the chest of draws sat under the window, a small lamp sat there, dusty and neglected.

"And we're supposed to live here?" Alex shouted and peered from her room, her glasses slid down her nose further.

Theresa nodded to her and began to unpack the cooler bag she'd been carrying and stock the fridge.

"I think we'll really like it here"

"Oh yeah sure, no reception and a top temperature of 30, Mom, I want to go home" Alex pushed her glasses back up her nose and Jerry had already made him self at home on the couch.

"We'll unpack and then take a look around" Theresa noted.

Alex groaned at her Mum's neglect at her concerns and slammed the door of her shoe box room.

The ranch was swamped with people.

There was a lake to the south, so most of her inhabitants of the resort had gravitated there.

Alex trailed behind her family, sour faced and hands stuffed in the pockets of her black jean shorts.

Three more people rode past on bikes.

Theresa waved to them, her peppy attitude rubbed against the grain of Alex's foul mood.

_How can she be so God damn happy with this place?_

Alex glared at Theresa and rolled her eyes as Max skipped ahead, still transfixed with the fact the place had bikes.

"Mom, can we get bikes?"

"We'll see" Jerry wagged his finger, his wallet closer to his heart than his son's interests.

Theresa hit Jerry half heartedly across the chest.

"Let them have there fun, it'll let us have ours"

Alex grimaced at the fact Theresa made it so blatant that they still attempted to have a love life.

"Ew" she made a loud gagging noise, but her attention was soon caught by a girl to her right.

This teen was happily lounging near the bike shed, talking with a lanky guy with ginger hair. They both stood clad in yellow polo shirts with the ranch logo on.

Alex tried not to look like she was staring, but there was something about the girl, something eye catching, the way she lounged, the way she rested her well toned leg upon one of the wooden log barriers. She had a aura, one that practically shouted, _I own this joint_.

The girl ran a hand through her hair, her bright blond highlighted bangs fell in front of her eyes with a grace that the heat didn't seem to touch.

Alex stumbled as she peered at her.

"Alex, what are you looking at?" Justin's nagging voice snapped her out of her wondering.

"Yogi frikin bear" she replied, her sarcasm was bitter.

"Food..." Max called over to her, his olive skin practically glowing under the suns rays.

Only he could be in the sun for five seconds and tan like he'd been out on a beach for a week.

Alex glanced over her shoulder as they entered the small restaurant, the smell of pancakes still didn't deter her from ogling the girl.

Alex felt compelled to find out who she was for better or for worse, she felt threatened by the girls presence, she was cute.


	2. Chapter 2

Waking up to the harsh light morning, Alex tried to roll away from it's cruel glare.

She pulled the sheets over her head and groaned loudly. Nature was relentless in it's mission to kill her.

Alex could still feel it's growing heat above her sheets, baking her groggy body.

"Urg! Come..." Alex rolled too far and fell out of bed in a pile of sheets and limbs. "Umph" she sighed and didn't attempt to pull herself up, she would happily stay on the floor if it meant shade.

"Alex get...up" Justin slammed her door open, his voice too cheery.

"Oh, _I'm up_" she hissed, irritated with the disturbance and scrambled up to her feet. Justin smirked.

"What are you... JUSTIN!" Alex shoved him out of her room when she realised he'd twisted her words.

Alex huffed and heard the distant ping of bike bells outside her window. She edged over the window and peered out, past the dead flies to a few kids cycling, followed by the one person she'd tried to avoid.

The girl.

Alex ducked, knowing full well the girl wouldn't see her, but it wasn't a risk she was going to take.

"Alex!" Theresa's voice cut through her spying.

"What?"

"Get washed and ready, we're gonna go for pancakes"

Alex huffed and walked out of her room still clad in bed shorts and a baggy t-shirt.

"Why is there a troll in the cabin?" Max mocked, looking up from his magazine with a coy grin.

"Shut up" Alex walked into the bathroom and locked herself in there until she could walk out presentable.

Over the clatter of plates and the nosy families crammed into the pancake house, Alex tried to peer out of the window to see if the girl was at the bike shed, the pancake house rested just across from it.

Alex felt like she was carrying a hang over, in reality it was the fact she was spending a holiday with her family, the nerdy, dysfunctional people that she'd tried to ignore.

Alex had tied her unruly waves of hair back, humidity hated her, she hated it, it was a grounded relationship.

Clad in jean shorts, converse and v-neck t-shirt, it was her only way to truly feel comfortable in the climate they'd been dumped in.

Jerry had already drowned his pancakes in syrup and managed to splash half of it on Justin, who was unhappily dabbing his shirt with a napkin.

Max kept moving his head to catch Alex's line of sight, she get a brief glanced to the bike shack before Max's head would be in the way, drooling ice cream and grinning at her.

"Quit it" Alex hissed and kicked his shin under the table.

Theresa was happily chatting with Jerry, too busy with trying to get him to go walking in the mountains with her to really take note of Alex and Max.

"Hmm, why won't you come walking, it's such a beautiful place" Theresa nagged.

"The only beautiful thing I see here is my pancake" he went to take another bite when Theresa crossed her arms and glared at him.

Justin smirked at the blatant mistake Jerry had made.

Jerry paused mid chew and gulped harshly.

"And.. and you of course, honey"

"Smooth" Theresa sneered and picked at the berries that lay atop of her pancake.  
"What are you lookin' at?" Max puzzled, eyeing his sister with suspicion.

Alex rolled her eyes.

"Outside"

"I thought you didn't like the 'outside'"

"It's outdoors Max" Justin corrected, still dabbing the stain.

"Urg! Just move your damn head" Alex frowned and kicked him again, this time just bellow the knee.

She was sure the girl had gone by now.

As the tip of her shoe collied with the cartilage there, his leg jerked up in reaction. He kicked the table.

With a solid thud, followed by the clatter of plates and cutlery Theresa and Jerry but shot the pair twined frowns.

"Alex" they both snapped.

"What?" Alex pouted "I wanna look outside and he's not letting me!"

"Max, stop it" Jerry pointed his fork at the youngest Russo, but the scolding was half hearted.

"Oh right! So I just get the blame for what _he's_ doing!" Alex jabbed and Theresa sighed.

"Can we just calm down and try to make it work?"

Alex pulled back from the table, her chair screeched against the wood of the floor.

"No" she huffed stubbornly, she turned sharply, not watching where she was walking she slammed straight into one of the passing waiters.

In a flail of limbs they fell over, the waiters leg crashed into one of the other tables as he fell onto his back, the pancakes he was holding flew all over the next table. As the other table recoiled from the offending pancakes, they backed it another waiter, this time he was pushing a whole trolley of food across the restaurant, the cart tipped over with the plater and splat of wasted food. A few people exiting their table were soon trapped by the tipped cart and while trying to edge past the mess, one of them slipped, resulting in kicking the struggling waiter in the face.

Alex crawled under a their table and watched as the chain reaction calmed.

"Who did this?" the first waiter scrambled to his feet, covered in ice cream and remnants of pancake.

"I guess we can't make this work" Justin muttered and kicked his sister from under the table.

"It was her" Jerry and Max both said in unison and pointed to Alex.

"Oh gee thanks" Alex hissed and crawled to her feet, dusting herself down and grinning gingerly at the diners all glaring at her.

"I'm just gonna go.." Alex pointed to the door and started to jog away when she was snatched. "Hey let go"

The manager was clutching the back of her shirt in an iron grip.

"You aren't going anywhere miss"

Alex gulped and hung her head as she was frog marched into the kitchens.

"And how did you manage to trash half of my restaurant in three seconds?" his thin face was screwed in irritation.

"What can I say... I'm skilled" Alex flashed him a grin, but it didn't wash as well as she thought. A yellow polo shirt was slammed into her hand.

"You start work an 6am sharp"

"What! But I'm a guest here!"

"You just injured one of my employees, you're gonna fill the space for them, get to it, I'll notify your parents and don't pull any funny stuff, I have a pretty good idea who they are"

Her adjusted his black shirt and walked back out to settle the mess.

Alex stood glaring down at the polo shirt.

Yellow.

"Urg" she held the clothing out in front of her and felt dozens of eyes on her. The kitchen staff looked at her, puzzled but not disturbed by her entrance.

"Who did you knock out kid?" a chubby chef grinned at her, his work mates chuckled.  
"I didn't knock out anyone" Alex huffed and turned her back on them.

"Sure sounds like it" another voice added.

The manager walked back in, this time pink in the face.  
"It's settled, you're gonna work here and pay for the damages you caused... Alex"

A 'ooo' sounded behind them.

The manager flexed his hands.

"I want you to begin work right now..." he grabbed a near by mop and handed it to her. "Get the shirt on, you're on clean up" he gave her a wooden smile and guided her the the staff changing rooms.

"After you've done that, I'll have to show you around" he couldn't have made her sound more like a burden.

"And if I don't do it?" Alex frowned up at him.

"You're gonna have to do it... your Mom seems pretty pissed with you and she said, _quote_ 'she better pay the damages or I'll damage her'"

"My Mom wouldn't say that!"

"Oh, huh, really, take a look" he pushed her over the the circular window in the kitchen door.

Alex gulped, Theresa had a face of thunder.

"Okay" Alex dragged the word. "Can I start after she goes, she'll kill me if I walk out of there now"

"To late kido" he pointed back to the changing rooms and she slunk in side.

The room was dim and the stench of mixed deodorants filled her senses. Lockers lined the walls.

Alex sighed and tried everyone until she found an open one.

She stuffed her t-shirt into it's metal innards and pulled on the yellow polo shirt, the manager guessed right size wise, it clung to her in a shapely manner.

Alex closed the locker and stuffed the key that was resting inside in her pocket, she looked at the mop by the door and winced.

_Now, this is hell._

Alex stood cleaning the mess, avoiding all eye contact that landed on her.

She rinsed the dirty water into the bucket by her left leg and only peered up for a brief second, her eyes soon met the gaze of two, dark eyes, glazed with intrigue.

Alex then went into a state of panic.

It was her, the girl had walked into see Alex in a embarrassing situation.

_Kill me. _

Alex dropped her gaze and mopped the floor harder, trying to get all the spilled toppings from sticking to the wood.

"Hey, Stevie" the manager jogged over to the girl, glancing at Alex first.

"Did you fix it?"

"All done Mike" the girl handed him a set of keys and he grinned at her, Alex watched the transaction from the corner of her eye.

"Oh, meet the new employee"

_He didn't just say that. _

Alex shied away from his introduction and continued to mop, feeling more than pathetic under the girls gaze.

If someone gave her a rock, she'd happily hide under it.

"Alex Russo" he continued. "Caused us a little... mess"

Alex gritted her teeth and continued to mop.

"Hey, wait!" his eyes gleamed. "Stevie, could you show her the ropes around here... I'll tell Joey that you're showing her around"

Stevie shrugged.

"Whatever" she stuffed her hands into the back pockets of her battered shorts and looked over the raven haired girl.

"Russo" Mike called and Alex rolled her jaw, she set the mop down with a clatter of wood, some of the water splashed up on to her leg.

"Yeah?" she mumbled.

"Nichols'll show you about" Mike looked at her half done job. "Finish it off then go to the bike shed"

"You cool with that Stevie?" Mike patted her on the shoulder, as jesture to say 'You're cool with it no matter what you say to object' and walked back into the kitchen.

Stevie sneered at him and walked from the restaurant, glancing over her shoulder at Alex as she mopped.

As the morning rush dulled, Alex finished up her task of cleaning the floor and slid into an empty booth.

She rested her head in her hands and closed her eyes, her arms ached from the constant pace she'd kept up for an hour, it would have taken her a shorter time if a kid hadn't spilt his food all over the other side of the restaurant as well.

Alex listen to the distant clanking of cutlery and the hush of voices. It was like a lullaby.

She yawned, sleep seemed so tempting.

"I don't think so Russo" Mark prodded her shoulder roughly. She snorted out of her daze and glared up at his looming figure.

_Ass hole. _

"Get over to the bike shed" he jerked his thumb in the general direction and looked at her expectantly. "Move it"

Alex slid out of the booth and walked out. The door pinged shut and her foot steps clattered on the wood decking. Her hands were raw from where the wood had rubbed, she hid them in the confines of her pockets as she walked across the dusty dirt road and walked onto the decking of the bike shed.

The tiny fuzz of a radio sounded to her side. Gary Numan blurred out, the old synths sounded distorted and slightly creepy.

The shack was large and had a joining metal shed at the back, she guessed it was a work shop.

Two kids on bike hurtled from the metal shed, screaming at each other as they rode off.

Alex knocked on the rickety wooden door of the shack, the corrugated metal shelter that hung over the decking creaked in the summer breeze.

The door creaked open and Stevie hung in the door way, leant against the frame and rubbed her hands with a grubby blue cloth.

"Ah, new girl" she looked Alex up and down, still drying her hands.

"You gonna just stand there or are you gonna show me about this shit hole" Alex snapped and Stevie rose her eyebrows.

"Blunt" she stuffed the rag in her back pocket and closed the shack door behind her. "I like it"

Stevie walked from the shack and headed down the dirt track.

Alex hung back, watching as she walked.

"You coming? Or are _you just gonna stand there_?" Stevie mocked Alex's earlier snipe.

Alex jogged after her and looked around.

"Here's the main place, bike shack, a whole row of restaurants..." Stevie didn't seem to amused with her new assigned job either.

Alex looked at the pancake house loathing it's very existence, next to it sat a tiny café and next to that sat a burger bar.

Alex guessed Stevie was in her late teens, like herself.

They came to a fork in the path.

"To your right, you got the mountain trail, to your left just more little places, this leads to the lake"

Stevie took the left fork.

Alex kicked small pebbles out of her path, making the dry dirt spit up in swirling clouds. Flies buzzed around them as they walked, Stevie didn't seem fazed, Alex tried to bat them away, looking more like a possessed crazy woman than someone simply getting rid of a insect.

Stevie smirked at the girl, they walked past a crowd of scouts, a few of them waved at Stevie, others stared at her crazy friend.

"Ignore it" Stevie chuckled, Alex paused her efforts to rid herself of the fly. Stevie's laugh was husky, deep, it made Alex want to grin at her. The Russo stopped herself from such a display of affection.

"Here you've got the activity arrangement centre... AAC" Stevie nodded towards the two floor cabin.

Just ahead, over a hill in the track Alex witnessed the lake.

"Oh, down there" Stevie pointed to her right, down a small rocky path placed between two large log buildings. "Is the short cut to all of the guest cabins... it's like a five minuet walk"

The sun's heat had picked up again, Alex soon found herself over heated, the lake looked even more appealing as they crossed the tiny bridge over, the sounds of there foot steps was sharp on the wood. A tiny river flushed under them.

"Nice" Alex breathed and saw tiny fish swim through the clear water.

"I just wouldn't go paddling" Stevie looked over her shoulder at Alex.

"Why?"

"The fish like to nibble" Stevie made a tiny pincer action with her fingers.

Alex kept walking, pressing her lips in to a thin line to stop from smirking, she wasn't going to like Stevie, she was NOT going to like her.

The track continued this time it was shrouded with trees and thick woodland at either side.

Alex felt the shade embrace her skin.

"How long have you been working here?"

"Years" Stevie stuffed her hands into her back pockets.  
"All the time?"

"Nah" Stevie laughed. "Just at summer"

"Why waste a summer here?" Alex sneered at the vista around here.

"Because I'd rather not waste it at home" Stevie shrugged.

Alex was taken back, did she just hear bitterness?

Their footsteps crackled down the track and they came to the lake.

"So here's the busy part of the lake" Stevie jutted her hand out unglamorously to the row of 'sea food' themed restaurants and a few activity centres.

Alex looked across the water, the other side looked like an ant village.

"What's right over there?" Alex pointed across the water.

"The abandoned part" Stevie wiggled her fingers and walked across the decked promenade.

"Abandoned?"

"We used to use it, but now, eh, I dunno why the shut up there... hey say it's haunted" Stevie teased.

"Shut up"

"Just tellin' you the rumours" Stevie shrugged and ran a hand through her hair.

"This place has rumours? It's so, cheesy"

"Hell yeah, but it pays well"

"Ha, yeah right"  
"Fixing bikes has a good income" Stevie leant on the log fencing of the deck and lolled her head back in the sun.

The chatter of passing people filled the summer air.

"Trashing a restaurant doesn't" Alex mumbled.

"Yeah well, that's just your claim to fame"


	3. Chapter 3

Walking further around the lake, Alex's curiosity bubbled.

They abruptly stopped at the foot of the surrounding woodland. The sounds of birds above and the rattle of bike chains were distant in it's density.

"Wanna be feral?" Stevie chuckled and turned to Alex was, yet again trying to swat away a fly. "_Really_?" Stevie rolled her eyes and grabbed Alex hand in a bundle in her right hand and flicked the fly away with her left.

"My hero" Alex dead paned and Stevie let go of her hands.

"So what do you say... should we go?" Stevie peered through the trees, it appealed her just to be surrounded by nature.

"How long will it take, I think I have to..."  
"You _want_ to go back?" Stevie rose her eyebrows and Alex almost slapped herself.

"No, let's go" Alex jogged onto the track and Stevie followed taking her time.

The sun shone in broken blades through the tree tops, lighting only a few patches of ground and leaving the rest in a dull shade.

The trunks towered over their tiny frames as they walked, it was easy to get lost in the feeling of being so small next to the trees.

The sound of brushing branches above made the trees creak and the sound of a wooden ocean washed over their heads.

Stevie smiled up at this rarely trodden land.

"Do you know where we're going?"

"Nope" Stevie hummed her words and felt the damp undergrowth tickle her bare ankles, as if it were playing a game.

"So we're just walking aimlessly?"

"Pretty much" Stevie looked at Alex's stubborn hunch as she walked.

She had to do something about her.

"Come on, I'll race you" Stevie jogged over to her and nudged her shoulder.

"What? Uh, it's a kids game!" Alex still kept her pace and Stevie jogged backwards so she was able to face the girl in her protest.

"You really need to lighten up"

"And you _really_ need to quit it" Alex huffed and looked away.

Stevie still jogged backwards, every so often glancing over her shoulder to see if anything lay in her path.

"Quit what?"

"Being" Alex motioned at her. "You"

"Stop being me?"

"Yeah, it'd make my life a whole lot easier"

Stevie shrugged, not as affected as she'd thought she'd be with the girls words.

"Fine" Stevie stopped jogging and stood with her arms crossed. "I'll just be like you then"

"That's childish... do you know how childish you actually are?"

"_That's childish, do you know how..._"

"Stop it"  
"_Stop it_"

Stevie had taken on Alex's posture and walked by her side, mimicking every tiny movement.

They walked in silence for five minuets before Alex tried to make her stop again.

"Okay, that's really annoying"  
"_Okay, that's really annoying_"

"God damn it!"

"_God dam it_!" Stevie gave a charming grin and Alex halted in her tracks.

"Just stop" she spoke bluntly.

"_Just stop_"

Alex shoved her, but realised the mistake and yelped when Stevie shoved her back.

Stevie chuckled and Alex stormed off in front. Stevie rolled her eyes and followed in for pursuit.

Alex heard the crack of broken branches and the thuds of well balanced feet in the earth behind her.

"Stevie just stop" Alex turned around, neither girl really took notice of each other and landed with a tumble of limbs into the soil.

Stevie landed atop of Alex, their faces flushed with the shock.

Alex felt a tiny smile creep on her lips and Stevie's hands were instinctively clamped on her hips.

"I'd love to say here and chat... but my legs are gonna go numb" Alex smirked and Stevie rolled off her.

"Well that was fun" Stevie got up and brushed the dirt and leaves off her clothes.

Alex did the same and giggled.

"What?" Stevie furrowed her brow.

"You've got dirt on your nose"

Stevie went cross eyed in hopes she'd be able to spot the offending smudge of soil.

Alex approached and wiped it off with the tiny scrub of her index finger.

Stevie pouted at the action.

They both stood looking at each other, wondering, waiting what either one of them would do.

"You better... walk" Stevie gulped and glanced over Alex's shoulder.

"Oh! Yeah, walking..." Alex turned and headed off down the track. Stevie ran a hand through her hair.

"You're going the wrong way" Stevie motioned with her thumb in the other direction.

"But that's going back... I want to look around some more!" Alex protested and upon Stevie's grin, knew she'd said the right thing.

"Just, try not to kill me" Stevie chuckled and quickened her pace to join Alex by her side.

"You knocked me over" the raven haired girl huffed.

"You didn't see me!"

"Oh I saw you, you just didn't see me"

Stevie chuckled at Alex's protest.

"You _saw_ me?"

"Not like that Stevie!" Alex nudged her, an action only friends really shared.

Was Stevie becoming her friend?

No, she couldn't let it happen.

"Ha, you soooo love me" Stevie skipped backwards and turned to break into a steady run.

"Wait, where are you going?" Alex stopped in her tracks.

"You're it you ass hole!" Stevie laughed and Alex rolled her eyes.

She might as well pass the time somehow.

Alex ran after her, keeping a close eye on the sprinting girl ahead of her.

Alex pushed herself to tun faster, the strike pattern hit the track with crunching leaves and the overhead singing of birds.

"Stevie!" Alex shouted after her, her voice echoed around the woodland, a few birds flew from the branches and Stevie calmed her sprint into a jog.

"Where are you going?" Alex panted, catching up.

"To the other side of the lake" Stevie waited up for her.

"Why?"

"So I can pretend to be a fish" Stevie rolled her eyes. "I'm gonna swim"

"But..."  
"But, it's hot and I've just ran half way through this place, I need to cool down..."  
"Race you then" Alex challenged, she could just see the shimmer of the waters edge in the distance between the trees.

"You're on Russo"

Both girls started off down the rest of the track, shouting at each other during their race.


	4. Chapter 4

**Well is everyone enjoying it so far?**

* * *

As tiny fish shimmered through the water, Alex swung her bare feet from the decking she was sat on, her toes brushed the water.

A gathering swarm of bugs twirled and flitted through the air close to the bank, their tiny bodies caught the light and made them turn invisible to the eye for seconds at a time.

Stevie sat by her side, looking down into the depths of the lake, her eyes trained on her own reflection.

She'd decided against swimming, she knew she'd have to get back soon.

"How long do you think this weather'll hold up?" Alex lolled her head back and soaked in the rays of sun.

"Really? You've resorted to talkin' about the weather?" Stevie averted her gaze with shy eyes at the raven haired girl.

"Yeah, I guess I have" Alex closed her eyes and hummed her words.

"Well, if you really wanna know, it's set to be a good summer" Stevie looked back at the rippling water.

"I'll hold you to it" Alex peeked through hooded eyes at the girl by her side.

The forest around them creaked in the breeze. The shabby boat house behind them cast a shadow over their backs.

"Yeah...well, I'm gonna make a move" Stevie stood up, the decking creaked with the loss of weight.

Alex sat bolt up and frowned at her.

"Why?"

"I have a job here, I don't wanna loose it" Stevie stuffed her hands into her back pockets. "Besides, I don't wanna leave Oscar alone another hour"

"Oscar?" Alex stood up too and picked a leaf from her shirt.

"The guy who works with me" Stevie shrugged and headed off back to the woodland track.

Alex bit down on her lip and her eyes fell to Stevie's rear, her eyes took in it's curve and the way her legs moved in a swagger.

_No, stop it, don't look, it's wrong_

"Like what you see?" Stevie caught Alex's stare, with a fiery gaze of her own. The Russo looked at the decking and scowled.

"You wish" Alex snapped back but Stevie was already half way to the track.

Alex listened to the birds up in the trees sing out into the summer air, if she could just hide up with them for the rest of the holiday, it'd be perfect.

Then again, Stevie proved to be a hard girl to let go.

* * *

Alex awoke, with tired eyes and aching limbs.

Her alarm was the constant cheep of a bird outside her window, it's was more like a witches cry than a tweet.

The bird had become her worst enemy.

Her limbs ached from the past three days of running around with plates and heavy pots, it had built some muscle in her limbs, proving to be a hard ache to rid herself of.

Alex groaned and pulled her body into a sitting position.

The cabin was silent, nobody was up, yet she had to pull herself up from her rickety bed and join the living before any of them were actually awake.

Alex got out of the comfort of her bed and beelined for the bathroom.

Once in the bathroom, she pulled the lock over the door and turned the tap, the rush of water told her another day, another ache to add to her list.

She cupped her hands under the tap and splashed the cold water over her face, it's icy caress bit at her skin and shocked her awake.

Alex peered at her sun kissed skin in the mirror, she'd gained a litter of freckles on the bridge of her nose due to the sun.

The sun was her killer, it beat down every day and burnt the hell out of her while she walked around trying to 'take a break'. Alex gripped the sides of the sink and sighed.

She had only seen Stevie twice in the past few days since their trip into the woodland.

Alex knew she had no reason to, but she missed her company.

She put the emotion down to the fact it was either Mike or her family she had to spend time with, she needed Stevie just to make her remember she was socially inclined.

Alex washed her face again then decided upon a shower.

The day was going to drag, she was sure of it.

Stevie sat in the heat of the bike shack. The mucky windows let the morning sun, it created a dull light, it showed the twirling sawdust in the air as it caught the light.

Her hands worked on a broken brake and her ears were trained on the radio.

It was tuned into a local radio station, the DJ kept talking about Bruce Springsteen and playing his records.

It was an obsessives power hour.

Stevie hummed along to Dancing In The Dark, she grinned at the lyrics and tapped her foot happily on the dusty floorboards.

The clicking of her tinkering filled the shack, the shouts and talking outside drifted in to keep her company, the day had apparently began for the guests.

This was her ideal life, just listening to the world around her, knowing she could enter it at any time, but she preferred to observe.

The heavy creak of a floorboards made her attention snap up, Oscar stood, his thin face and kind eye wondered over her, he stood at the back door.

"You okay there?"

"Yeah" Stevie sighed and stopped working on the bike to give him her full attention.

"Bruce Springsteen, eh, I like Bowie myself"  
"Just becouse you're that awkward"

"Yeah, totally" his voice was husky, he'd no doubt just been out for a smoke.

Stevie walked over to him and wrapped her arms around his neck, giving him a tiny grin.

"You stink of smoke" Stevie mumbled and he laughed, wrapping his hands around her waist.

"You smell of bike oil" he grinned at her "I like it" he kissed her forehead and ran his hands down to her rear, to cup it in their embrace.

Stevie leant upwards and pecked him on the lips.

"You're distracting me" she chuckled, pulling away and looking back to the bike that was propped up on her work desk.

"Nah, I'm helping you take a break"  
"Oh, really, that's what you call it" Stevie played with the hairs at the back of his neck and he backed her into the wall steadily.

"Urm, yeah, yeah, I think that's what it's called" he kissed her again, his lips moving with hers with ease.

"Do you think we have time?" Stevie glanced at the door, Oscar made a small sound as if to say 'yeah' and kissed her again, this time lifting Stevie so she could wrap her toned legs around his waist.

She did so and ran her fingers through his hair.

They always had time.

Their job was to fix bikes.

Alex had been assigned to the post of tidying away the menus.

The restaurant was just calming down from it's morning rush.

Collecting the menus up from empty tables, she took a glance through the window over to the bike shed.

People walked past, blocking her view, initially stopping her day dreams.

"Come on Russo" Mark strode past, his voice grated against her.

He disappeared into kitchen and left Alex alone again.

_Alex walked out of the pancake house, her feet carrying her, she was fearless. _

_She opened the door of the shack and caught Stevie off guard, the girl was working on a bike. _

_Her hair was all ruffled and her cheeks had tiny blotches of oil on them._

"_Russo?" Stevie looked at her, then took in Alex's flushed expression. _

"_Just fucking kiss me" Alex panted and tackled Stevie into a harsh lock of lips and tongue. _

_Stevie kissed her back, hard and lowered them both to the floor of the shack. _

"Russo, really come on!"

Alex was broken out of her day dream and felt an angry blush grace her cheeks.

She had not just imagined that.

"I'm doing it" Alex snapped at him and collected the menus in a rush then almost broke into a run as she headed to the counter.

"You heard about the dance?" Mark slotted his mobile back into his pocket.

"No, why would I?" Alex huffed, brushing stray hairs from her face and slamming the menus into their designated slots.

"Well, it's staff only and since you are now staff, I thought you woulda heard"

"Yeah, well, I don't dance" Alex sneered, mentally slapping herself for her daydream.

"I was just tellin' you about it" Mark held up his hands and walked back into the kitchen. The doors swung in a lazy back and forth motion then stilled.

Alex ran a hand through her hair and abandoned the task at hand, she needed a break, all morning she'd been heckled at my rowdy teens and a bat shit crazy old woman.

Alex walked out in to the heat of the late morning and watched as a few girls walked past, all talking happily.

Alex rolled her shoulders and soon decided to go to the lake, there was an old bate shop there that sold Lemonade, it was a good starting point.

Stevie pulled her shirt back on and laughed as Oscar still lay half naked looking back up at her.

"What?" she looked down at herself then at him, trying to spot why he was so transfixed with her.

"You"

"Me?" Stevie scoffed and kicked his foot lightly.  
Oscar sighed and sat up.

"How do you do it?" he pulled his boxers and jeans back up, then stood up next to her.

"Do what?" Stevie had already gone back to work.

"Just, get back up"

"Well I don't wanna fucking lie on the floor half naked, in an unlocked shack" Stevie shrugged and tinkered with the brake tube. Oscar wrapped his arms around her waist and kissed the skin of her neck.

Stevie turned in his hold and pinched his chin.

"No more until I get this bike finished, even then, I might just go for a break" Stevie winked and Oscar backed away.

He pulled a cigarette pack from his back pocket and plucked one from the confines of the box.

"Want one Stevie?" he held the box out and Stevie rose an eyebrow.

"Oh my God, you're sharing" she chuckled and shook her head, declining the thing what would most likely kill her.  
"Funny" he sneered and took out a lighter.

"Not in here" Stevie frowned and pinched his arm until he left.

"But, ow, shit Stevie that, ow, quit, ow! Okay, okay, I'm goin'" Oscar laughed and Stevie shoved his out the back door.

The girl rolled her eyes and walked over to the door to open it to get some fresh air in her match box work shop.

The breeze washed over her and she looked out onto the ranch.

Her eyes suddenly were attracted to Alex retreating from the pancake house.

Stevie glanced over her shoulder then back at Alex, Oscar wouldn't care much.

"Hey, Russo" Stevie called out and caught her attention.

Alex stood frozen momentary at Stevie's decision to appear.

"Stevie... hey" Alex rubbed the back of her neck, Stevie looked at, taking in her awkward greeting.

"What's up with you?"

The pair began to walk down the track, Alex was still set on going to the lake so headed in that direction.

Stevie hung at Alex's shoulder.

Alex bit down on her lip and shrugged, she felt wrong being next to her and previously having the daydream that now haunted her.

A few kids ran past them, breaking the conversation for a second.

"Nothing"

"Tell that to your face" Stevie prodded Alex's arm.

"Is this why you came over, just to irritate me?" Alex huffed.

"Nah, I came to walk with you"Stevie responded smartly to her snipe. "Where are you headed?"

"The lake"

"Then I think I better walk with you"  
"Why?"

"So you don't drown or get lost" Stevie winked at her and kicked a rock out of her path.

"Oh, so you think I can't make my way around this place?"

"I don't think... I _know_" Stevie smirked, the very grace of the emotion made Alex want to grin at her, but she couldn't, she wouldn't.

"I'm not that hopeless" Alex defended.

"Lighten up" Stevie frowned and slunk her hands into her back pockets.

Alex frowned down at her feet.

Stevie sighed.

"Judging by those dark rings around your eyes, you aren't someone who likes to wake up early"

Alex scoffed and they came to the bridge.

"Unless you can make Mark try let off, then I have no idea how I'm gonna survive"

"Coffee" Stevie shrugged.

Their feet pattered on the wood and crunched down on the rest of the path. The lake was just ahead.

"Yeah sure, like I'd have time for coffee"

Stevie felt the urge to wrap her arm around her waist, she just wanted to make Alex feel slightly better.

Alex walked, kicking up the dry dirt as they walked.

"You smell like guys deodorant" Alex mumbled.

Stevie sniffed at her shirt and shrugged.

"It's Oscar"

Alex pouted "Who _is_ Oscar?"

"Someone who works with me, why? Aww, are you jealous?" Stevie smirked.

"No, why the hell would I be jealous?"

"I dunno, you could be in love with me" Stevie nudged her playfully.

"How could I ever be in love with you? You're way to irritating" Alex shoved Stevie back and chuckled.

"Ah, see, you laughed, you _do_ love me" Stevie held her head up high and spoke in a sing dong tone.

"Shut up Stevie" Alex rolled her eyes and they walked onto the decking of the lake.

A mother and three kids walked past them, along with two dog walkers and a group of teens.

"You, _love_ me" Stevie toyed and prodded her side.

Alex laughed at her energy and dismissed the looks they received by passers by.

"Lemonade" Alex nodded her head in the direction of the shack and they walked to the faded green cabin, the paint was chipped and the rusty sign swung in the breeze.

Stevie and Alex entered with the ping of the bell.

The shop was musty was dust and the mumble of voices.

"Hey Clara!" Stevie shouted over to the red head at the counter. She waved back as they approached her.

"Lemonade?" Clara handed them to frosty cans and grinned at Stevie. Alex noticed the transaction.

"It's the only thing this place has" Stevie made small talk, her fingers tapped on the old wood counter.

Above them an old fan wobbled in it's attempts to keep the place cool.

"Apart from flies" Clara noted and Alex almost laughed.

She sure knew that.

"How are you and Oscar holding up in that bike shed, you must be killing each other by now" Clara noted and tied back her fiery hair in a elastic band.

"You could say that" Stevie shrugged and opened her can with a crisp split of aluminium.

Alex grabbed her can and felt out of the picture.

Stevie prodded her.

"This is Alex"  
"Ah, yeah, the girl who kicked that waiter in the face" Clara beamed.

"I didn't kick him in the face, I just... caused him to be kicked in the face"

Stevie chuckled and Clara nodded, grinning.

"Seems about right for around here" the red head leant back onto the drinks fridge behind her.

"We better make a move, I have a bike to fix, I've not done much" Stevie took a steady drink from the can.  
"Oh, did you hear about the dance?" Clara added.

"No" Stevie looked at Alex, like she'd have the answer too.

The raven haired girl just stay silent.

"Well it's on Friday"

"Two nights to try and avoid getting roped into it, I can do that" Stevie took another sip.

"Stevie you have to come, I'll be stuck with Todd and Mark, please come and you too Alex"

Clara hadn't forgot about the second girl.

"I don't dance" Stevie shrugged.

"Fine, Alex, will you join me?" Clara smiled at her cutely, her freckled face was hard to say no to.

"I dunno, I might have to, do erm stuff"  
"It's a Friday, who has stuff to do on a _Friday_?"

"I'll go then" Alex shrugged, she didn't really want to face a night in with her family.

Stevie mocked a look of betrayal.

"Traitor" she pouted and Alex smirked at her.

"Now you have to come, Stevie" Clara jabbed.

"Fine, I'll come" Stevie rolled her eyes, Clara clapped her hands in excitement.

"I want to see you both there"

"We will be" Alex nodded and tugged on Stevie's arm. "I wanna go and sit by the lake"

"See you Clara, Alex calls" she joked and was soon tugged out of the shop by Alex.

Stevie's hand had slipped into hers half way to the lakes edge.

Alex sipped at the bitter drink and sat down. Stevie was dragged down, their hands still intertwined as they sat looking out onto the lake.

Boats tore the calm water and people swam around the far end, shaded by the cover of trees.

Stevie pulled her hand away and Alex bit on the inside of her lip, she place her now empty hand on her can.

"I can't believe you dragged me to a dance" Stevie sighed.

"Well, I don't wanna be stuck inside and I don't wanna go to a dance and not know anyone"

"Still" Stevie stifled a yawn.

"Up late?"

"Today's been... active" Stevie rolled her shoulders and sipped at her lemonade.

Alex picked up the undertone in her voice, it was practically singing. 'I know something you don't know'.

Alex looked out past the water and over to the darker sides of the surrounding woodland, it was a distraction from jealous thoughts that wound her up.

"I can hear the gears and cogs turning" Stevie whispered into the shell of her ear.

Alex jumped and wished away the blush that threatened to show.

"I'm just... taking stuff in" Alex shrugged.

"Penny for your thoughts?"

Alex fabricated a lie.

"I just wanna take a swim some time..."

Stevie hummed at the scent of mango in Alex's hair. It intoxicated her, it seduced her into wanting to kiss her neck, nip at the soft skin, caress it with a lovers touch.

Alex was aware of Stevie's mouth close to her ear.

Should she leant away, should she lean in.

"We'll go swimming" Stevie croaked and pulled away, regaining her senses that Alex had so unintentionally stolen.

"Someday" Alex picked at the ring pull of her can.

"Yeah" Stevie leant back, she really needed to clear her head, she needed time to think, but she also needed Alex. "Someday"


	5. Chapter 5

**Okay sorry this is shorter, but I've got writers block... eh, so enjoy. Good and Bad comments are welcome.  
**

* * *

The afternoon rush was just starting as the girls walked back.

Their footsteps crunched on the dry earth. Joyful screams and shouts sounded in the distance. Alex and Stevie's hands brushed together as they walked. Never touching, but the back of their hands grazed each others enough to signify they both we're thinking of clutching each others hand at any moment.

Oscar was waiting for Stevie, a cigarette pinched between his thin lips.

Stevie slender form caught his eye.

"Who's your friend?" he puffed out the smoke while shouting across to them.

Stevie stood still, she grimaced, Alex saw this and rose one eyebrow at the guy.

"Stevie!" he walked over and took a long drag at his cigarette.

"Alex, this is Oscar" Stevie introduced flatly.

Alex looked him up and down, he was good looking at least.

Oscar prodded Alex's shoulder.  
"Alex, ah, yeah, you're that kid who kicked that waiter in the face" he chuckled his words and Stevie clutched Alex's wrist protectively. Alex's eyes widened and she bit down on her lip.

"She didn't kick anyone in the face" Stevie snapped at him.

"Sheesh, Stevie, what's up with you?" Oscar backed away, not paying attention to Stevie's hand clutching Alex's wrist.

Stevie looked down at the ground then back up at him.

Would he say anything about _them_?

"Nothin'" Stevie let go of Alex's wrist and crossed her arms over her chest.

"Babe, what's up?" Oscar pouted.

Alex snorted, then soon covered it up with a fake cough so Oscar wouldn't think anything of it.

_Babe_? _Who the fuck is this guy_?

Alex felt her heart sink.

_They're going out! Why else would he call her babe? Maybe he's just a douche, well, either way he is._

Stevie rolled her eyes and turned to Alex, who then had a face of thunder.

"We'll talk, later" Stevie assured her eyes pleading.

Alex ran a hand through her hair.

"Yeah, we will"Alex huffed and walked over to the pancake house not looking back at her.

Oscar leant into a peck Stevie's lips but she pushed him away, guilt prodded at her.

"Not now" Stevie then jogged into the shack.

Oscar frowned at her sudden change in mood, he then looked over the pancake house.

He pegged it had something to do with the Alex girl.

* * *

Stevie sat down heavily on the edge of the work bench and bit the inside of her cheek, trying to work everything out.

The felt like she had two brains, one half was happily nested with Oscar the other yearned for Alex, the one girl that would most likely be able to dictate over her heart. Alex was Stevie's personal war zone, the raven haired girl was dangerous and she loved it.

Stevie rested her head in her hands and let out a groan of frustration.

The thought of Alex was tugging at the very fabric of her body, everything she'd once known had been thrown out of the window.

She was straight, but now with Alex... she felt like she'd woken up gay, she'd woken up in love with a girl.

Oscar came in, his footsteps laboured with his own mental war.

What did Stevie want from him?

"Stevie" his voice cut through the dusty air and slapped her.

"Leave me alone Oscar"

The lanky teen shifted uncomfortably then crossed his arms.

"No"

"Fine then" Stevie stood up once again and squared up to him with a ferocity unknown, even to herself.

Oscar furrowed his brow.

"What's gotten into you?"

Stevie looked at her feet, as if they would aid her situation, all they could do was help her walk out. She inhaled then spoke.

"What are we doing? Are we in a relationship?"

Oscar rolled his shoulders.

"I don't know"  
"Well, I need to know... from you"

"Why?"

The simple word weighed so much.

"Because, I think... I think I like Alex"

"What? So, in the space of a few hours, you've turned gay?" Oscar snapped.

"All we ever do is have sex, no offence but I'm not attracted to your personality" Stevie stepped back. She'd just made herself sound like a whore... great. Well, she couldn't take it back now.

"What?" Oscar jutted his hands out, as if to punch the air.

Stevie hissed and pinched the bridge of her nose.

"I mean... I just don't want to do this any more"

Oscar sucked in his cheeks then sighed.

"Whatever" his voice lowered and his sink soon seemed a lot paler in pigment. Stevie had to do a double take.

"You're not even going to stop me?" Stevie winced and looked at the floor, her voice was small.

The argument had settled into a no man's land of hurt.

"Why should I? You won't give up until you get something... I just feel shit becouse I'm not the one you want"  
Stevie felt the threat of tears sting and nip at her eyes.

"I'm sorry" Stevie's voice was soon raspy. "I don't know what's happened to me, she just came along and... and..."  
"Stole your heart?" Oscar scoffed, but had a broken smile upon his lips.

"Cheesy, but yeah" Stevie sniffed and tilted her head upwards to will away the tears.

"We had no foundation anyway" Oscar shifted from one foot to the other. Stevie shrugged.

"Thank you" Stevie breathed out. "For... not going bat shit crazy"

"What are... friends for right?" Oscar bit on his lower lip and Stevie hugged him, wrapping her arms around his torso.

"Right" Stevie nuzzled into his chest and Oscar felt an odd reassurance, that he'd lost a lover, but gained a best friend and from that, maybe it didn't hurt that much.

* * *

The sun had just began to set. It's rays made the sky turn from blue to pink, much like flesh, white scars from aeroplanes made drifting steaks across the baby pink backdrop.

A group of teens passed the pancake house, all hustling each other and shouting. The distant sounds of other voices filled the cool evening air.

Stevie stood in the door way of the shack, Oscar was too busy fixing a kids bike to really care what she was doing.

The girl looked ahead and witnessed a couple walk from the pancake house, contented in each others company.

They made attraction appear easy to the trained eye. Stevie sighed and listened as the door pinged shut.

She'd make her move.

Stevie jogged across the dirt road, it seemed just a skip away, the journey was too short, yet she'd gone to far to turn back once her right foot stuck down on the decking. Stevie pulled the door open and walked in, it was just closing judging from the clatter of plates and shouts from the kitchen. Stevie stopped when her eyes roamed over Alex's busy form.

Sucking in a breath through her teeth, Stevie approached the Russo.

Tapping her on the right shoulder while approaching from the left always seemed the best way to start something.

Alex turned to her right and scowled as she heard Stevie's husky chuckle.

"Not cool" she huffed, blowing a few strands of hair from her face.

"I thought it was pretty funny myself" Stevie leant into her and watched over her shoulder. Her defensive charm seemed the best way to ease herself into the apology.

"Arranging menus... oohh fun" she mocked.

Alex sighed.

"Don't you have a job" Alex plucked more menus from the tray. "Like fixing bikes"

"Sorry" Stevie backed away and stood by her, watching her hands as she organised the laminated sheets.

"Sorry I didn't tell you about Oscar, you seemed pretty pissed that I didn't, so I'm sorry" Stevie chewed some loose skin on her bottom lip after she spoke, waiting with baited breath for Alex's response.

Alex let out a frustrated moan and dropped the menus she was holding. They fell with a light clatter onto the counter, some floated down to the floor.

"I fucking hate you" Alex turned abruptly and slammed her lips to Stevie's with the clash of tongue and teeth.

Stevie stumbled back, loosing her footing against the force Alex had mustered. She outstretched her arms backwards and came to grasp the sides of the counter to balance. Alex ran her hands up to hold Stevie's shoulders and then cupped her neck with both hands, rubbing her thumbs against the tender skin. Stevie felt Alex lean into her body and in turn ease her back onto the counter, but Stevie resisted and tried to concentrate on how Alex's tongue was stroking along hers.

Alex and Stevie both closed their lips, it made a dry peck as they parted.

Alex pulled away and retracted her hands.

Stevie gulped thickly, stunned and breathless.


	6. Chapter 6

**Sorry it's short, once again, but I really am just blocked on how to write it all. **

**Any comments, good, bad, advice, it's ALL welcome. **

**Enjoy.**

* * *

The heavy thud of retreating footsteps assured Stevie of two things.

She'd just been rejected.

She sure as hell needed a cigarette.

As the bell above the door rung, it's chime sounded more like a harsh drum, it was harsh against the sensitive nerves Stevie exposed.

Alex sprinted from the pancake house, with a heavy heart and heavy legs. Watching her go was probably the hardest scene to process.

Stevie sighed, feeling her eye lids sting, she sunk to the floor, running her back down the counter and sat curled up.

Her head was aching, as well as her chest.

Alex had just kissed _her_.

The worst part was, she'd just left a guy she honestly would have stayed with for a girl that she hardly knew.

"Fuck" Stevie hissed, sniffling. Her face had turned a grazed pink and she blinked away the tears that threatened to break her composure.

She gulped away the urge to vomit and brought herself to stand once more.

Feeling numb and nauseated, the teen left the restaurant and stumbled like a drunkard into the surrounding woodland.

Her feet kicked up the dust, her limbs didn't respond with grace and a natural elegance, they acted like a ball and chain.

Her heart had plummeted to her stomach, the feeling had sent a bubble of lactic acid up to her throat that she tried to push down.

Her eyes glossed over and distorted the woodland.

The vibrant green of the trees turned grey.

The rich blue of the sky was now overcast with shadows from the canopy of branches above her aching form.

If she died right there and then, it would be a blessing.

Stevie wandered through the undergrowth, swatting flies away groggily and trudged through a muddy bike track.

This uncommon texture made Stevie loose balance and collapse to her knees.

Muddy, emotional and irritated, the girl stood back up, her knees, palms and shoes layered in clay dirt.

Stevie grunted and strode on, now fully coming to terms with the ugly side of nature, the ugly side of Alex.

She'd kissed her and made Stevie let down her guard, only to kill of her defences and leave her for dead.

Love was a fucked up thing, Stevie still wanted her, craved the raven haired girl more than ever, but Stevie could never have her.

Alex's rejection had insured that.

Alex Russo resided in her cabin.

The dull tick of the clock and the drip of the kitchen tap were the only sounds to fill the wooden cage.

The light shone through the windows in streams of golden sun and caught the dust in the air.

Alex sat with her head between her knees, her spinning skull and racing heart were the last thing she'd ever want to concentrate on.

Reflection of the past ten minuets hurt her, like the mirror had smashed and sent shards in the cushion of her heart.

Although, her heart was far from comfortable. Laced with acid, her blood burnt her veins, she regretted the moment she pulled away, shock had made her do it.

The one person she wanted, was the one person she was running away from.

She assured herself, she wasn't gay.

Alex groaned in frustration and gritted her teeth.

She hated herself, more than she could describe.

But she was scared.

Scared of herself, of her feelings, of Stevie and what that girl made her mind and body do.

Being scared and angry never helped anything.

Alex was sure that there was no salvation for her actions.

Alex lay on her side, her limbs grew heavy and her eye lids threatened to close.

She was tired, her body wanted her to sleep, to repair what damage had been done, but unless it was an eternal sleep, Alex was unsure anything could really be healed.


	7. Chapter 7

Stevie used the term 'hangover' as cheap description of why she was late for work.

Knotted hair and shaggy clothes all aided the term, to make it appear true, but also hid her turmoil in plain sight.

Why else would the girl turn up late for a job she loved?

Why else would she let herself look like death?

Oscar gave her a shy smile after probing her about her late arrival and continued to tinker with a rusting chopper.

Stevie ran a hand through her hair, her fingers got caught in a few knots and she winced when the knot caused her hair to tug at her scalp.

"Fucking" Stevie hissed and retracted her hand. Oscar looked up concerned.

"What?"

"Nothing" she muttered and groggily sat down on a stool.

She had no idea what she was _really_ doing.

Beyond the summer job, there was nothing and nobody.

"You want a coffee?" Oscar stretched, his shirt lifted and his boxers became visable. Stevie smirked at the leaf patter but didn't question it.

"That'd be great, put three sugars in mine"

"You're getting them"

"Why me?" Stevie pouted.

"Your turn" Oscar pointed out and a sly smirk graced his other wise, tired features.

"Listen, I really don't wanna..."

"Get to it or I'm gonna squeal that you were late"

"You fucker" Stevie grumbled and cross the hut, her foot steps dragged across the floor boards.

"You know me" Oscar winked, she caught the action in a quick glance back before she exited and made her way to the coffee stand further down the tack.

Flies buzzed past and the passing families did a double take at her rough appearance.

Stevie kicked a few pebbles out of her way and watched as they skipped along the dusty track and landed in a puff.

Stevie waited in line to order her coffee, not bothering to use the excuse that she was a staff member to jump to the front, she'd wait, it'd give her time to think.

In front stood two girls, both of them siblings, one of them short and stocky, the other lean and tall.

The taller girl was hissing something about not wanting to pay, despite looking like she was the eldest.

The shorter girl just shoved her and hissed back that she was fed up.

Stevie examined the pair.

It was an idle in sight but passed the time until they were finally served.

When the siblings left, Stevie was too wrapped up in thinking about the girls that she blanked out Hillary, who was subjected to stand in a wooden stall selling cheap coffee.

"Stevie!" the older woman shouted and clicked her fingers, in hope of gaining the teens attention.

"Huh?" Stevie was dazed for a few seconds before realising the task at hand. "Oh sorry" Stevie sighed and ordered her coffee and Oscar's unglamorously.

"You seem a little down" Hillary pointed out handing Stevie to two cardboard cups.

"I guess" Stevie's shoulder slumped and she clutched the coffees, the steam floated into the air above.  
Hillary's gaze then ventured over Stevie's shoulder and she tilted her head.

"What?" Stevie gave the woman a puzzled stare before turning around herself.

"We need to talk" Alex stood, also looking considerably rough, with her arms crossed tightly over her chest.

Stevie clenched her teeth and walked back to the shack, knowing full well the Russo was in hot pursuit.

"There's nothing to talk about, you made that pretty clear" Stevie snapped over her shoulder.

Alex jogged to keep up with Stevie's pace.

"Just listen"  
"No" Stevie growled and reached the decking of the hut. Her right foot landed on the wood first.

"Please" Alex huffed, through gritted teeth.  
As much as the raven haired girl hated saying it, she was truly sorry.

Stevie sucked her bottom lip and closed her eyes.

She tried to breath steadily, but found it difficult, like a belt was wrapped around her chest.

"So you can kiss me and leave me again?" Stevie bowed her head and walked to the door.

"No"

Stevie noted the pain in Alex's voice.

"Stevie please, can't you just hear me out?"

Stevie pushed the door of the hut open and walked inside, but didn't close the door.

She set the coffee down on the table, some of the liquid sloshed out of the cup with the force applied to put them down.

Oscar glanced outside and saw Alex stood, pale faced and irritated.

"What's going on?" Oscar knew full well something had gone on between them, something that he didn't care to venture into. "Fix it" he whispered and Stevie gulped thickly.

"She doesn't want me" Stevie hissed back.

"She's waiting on you, if she didn't want you, why would she be stood there looking like a lost puppy?"  
"I hate puppies"

"I hate it when you're dumb, go out there and fix it" Oscar snapped and jerked his thumb in the direction of the door.

Stevie rolled her neck and sighed.

How could Alex hurt her more?

Shove her in front of a car?

Or a bike?

The mental image made her wince.

She'd happily jump in front of a bike to avoid the conversation.

But avoiding it was prolonging the inevitable.

"Do you want her?" Oscar broke Stevie's wandering thoughts.

"Huh?"  
"Do you want her?"

"...Yeah" Stevie admitted, bitterness laced her voice.

She hated herself for it.

"Then go and get her you ass"

Stevie shook her head and turned slowly.

Alex for a second looked hopeful, her eyes light up with the hope that Stevie would listen to her.

Alex stepped forward, but when her left foot hit the decking, the door slammed shut.

The raven haired girl's shoulders slumped.

"Hey Russo" Mark's voice trailed to her from the pancake house. Alex bit her lip and turned.

"What?" she spat and walked back to the restaurant.

"It's Friday" he grinned at her, the whirr of passing bikes sounded in the background.

"And?"  
"The dance, do you wanna come with me?"

Alex scuffed her feet on the decking.

_Don't do it. _

"Sure" Alex gave a small smile and Mike punched the air.

"Meet here?"

"Yeah" Alex stuffed her hands into her pockets, her stomach churned.

As Mark walked back into the pancake house, his foot steps dissolved and the chime of the bell rung out.

Alex glanced back over her shoulder, Stevie didn't want her. She gritted her teeth and followed Mark back into the pancake house.

Mid day faded into evening and the inhabitants of the ranch dwindled.

Alex leant against the beam holding up the shelter to the pancake house, clad in a pair of black jeans, a white floaty blouse with a black collar with silver studs on it, all pulled off by a pair of black Crocodile Pascal Doc Martins.

She might as well dress up.

"Lookin' good" Mark approached.

Alex winced at the fact he looked cute.

Wearing a faded denim shirt, ripped back jeans and black suede desert boots.

Alex smiled briefly.

"Not too bad yourself" Alex murmured and began to walk.

Stevie picked at her food and sighed.

A sandwich wasn't the most appetising thing to eat on a upset stomach.

Pushing the food away, she stretched and walked across the shack to turn on the radio.

The static was parted as she turned the dial and received the sound of Same Mistakes by The Echo Friendly.

Stevie rubbed her eyes of the stinging sensation they had adopted and looked around the dim shack.

Oscar had gone to the party, so she was alone.

"Brilliant" Stevie sighed and sat back down.

The sound of crunching footsteps outside and the chirps of Grasshoppers melted in with the fuzzy music.

Approaching the party the sound of music welcomed them.

"You ready?" Mark held onto her waist. Alex moved away from his touch.

"Yeah, just point me in the direction of the drinks"

"That's it!" Mark laugh airily and they both walked into the party.

Over the loud tinny boom of The Cure and the trying to spot a familiar face through the dim light, Alex felt the disheartening feeling she was going it alone.

Mark nudged her softly to grab her attention.

"Guys, this is Alex"

Alex smiled at the four guys forming half a circle around her.

"Mark, you lucky bastard" one of them said and took a swig from his beer.

Alex frowned at him then at Mark.

"We're not dating" Mark clarified.

"Oh, so I'm free to dine?" the guy said, the other three laughed, Mark soon looked uncomfortable.

Alex sneered at the guy.

"No" she huffed and dragged Mark to the opposite side of the bar.

"You wanna dance?" Alex shouted over the music.

"To The Cure?" Mark frowned but the song soon faded and the next track blurred out of the overhead speakers.

The Killers soon made Mark smile and nod to Alex's proposal.

The pair of them moved to the dance floor, Mark wound his hands around Alex's waist. She pulled away and smirked before saying.

"School rules, arms length apart"

Mark frowned, but agreed.

Under the flashing lights and the rumble of the music, Mark parted ways with Alex to get drinks, abandoning her at the edge of the dance floor.

The guy Mark had introduced her to before walked over and leant into her body.

His lips closed in on Alex's ear.

"You wanna get out of here?"

Alex looked out onto the dance floor then around her.

The party held no attraction to her.

Alex then searched for Mark, she rolled her eyes. Typical. He was huddled in a corner with another girl.

"Where are you thinking of?" Alex spoke woodenly.

The guy grinned, his dimples light his face.

"You'll see" he snagged her wrist and tugged her from the party.

Stevie pushed the table away from her after sitting in contemplation for a steady hour.

She had to get her back.

Alex had wanted to talk to her, she'd wanted to straighten things out.

Stevie had been the awkward one, she'd refused even thought she wanted it too.

"You fucker" Stevie growled at herself and pulled her denim bomber jacket from the back of the door.

Stevie's boots crunched down on the dry earth, she followed the music that floated in the evening breeze.

Stevie would check Alex's cabin first, then the party.

Huddled in her jacket, Stevie broke into a sluggish jog.

Alex had learnt that the guys name was Keenan.

Is bulky frame suggested that he was a life guard.

"Where are we going?"

"In time kiddo"

Alex bit the inside of her cheek.

_Kiddo? _

The night air was cool, the wind nipped at her and tugged at her hair.

The glittering water of the lake was soon the land mark she'd been begging for, she knew where he was taking her at least.

"I love nights like this" Keenan's voice was slurred, but no the less held a sincere tone.

Alex hung at his shoulder and hugged herself.

"You wanna beer?" he brandished a can and Alex took it without apprehension.

Alex pulled the tag and the can cracked open, froth spilled over.

"Urg" she held the can away and chuckled. Keenan smirked and opened one for himself. They soon neared the dock.

"This place has a dock?"

"Yeah" Keenan sipped from his can and stared at her, his eyes soft.

Alex sat down on the edge of the jetty and Keenan followed.

Stevie knocked on the door of the cabin. Her knuckles stung as they grazed the wood.

Theresa answered.

"Hello?" she questioned, her voice thick.

"Sorry to erm disturb you, but is Alex here?"

"No, sorry, she said she was at a staff dance" Theresa looked Stevie up and down, the girl looked concerned. "Anything wrong?"

The loud shouts from Justin and Max distracted the woman for a second.

"Guys, hush down!" she barked and returned to Stevie in no time.

"No, I guess I forgot about the dance, sorry for disturbing you, bye" Stevie felt pathetic as the door closed and she walked back down the track.

Stevie drew nearer to the party, the amount of drunk staff members that stumbled past confirmed she was close.

Stevie pushed the door open and was hit with the stench of beer, mixed with sweat and smoke.

Stevie wove through the crowd, brushing shoulders with people, she spotted Mark.

"Mark!" she called, breaking him away from a girl.

"Stevie, you made it!" his voice was thick with alcohol.

"Have you seen Alex?"

"Urr, oh I was... no, I ain't"

Stevie gritted her teeth.

"Do you have any idea where she might have gone" her throat stung as she shouted over the music to be heard.

"If you're lookin' for that hot chick" another voice sounded behind her, a hand landed on her shoulder. "She went with Keenan"

Stevie pulled away from the drunk's grasp.

"Fuck" she rushed back to the door and pushed it open, with more force that necessary. The door slammed into the wall and she ran out into the night.

Alex looked out onto the water and sighed.

"You're really pretty" Keenan played with a strand of hair, Alex edged away.

"Thanks"

"Why do you keep movin' away?" Keenan took another swig from his beer.

"... I don't know"

"I'm not gonna bite"

Alex scoffed and sipped at her beer, the tang of the alcohol made her screw up her face.

"What is this?" Alex grimaced.

"Oh, it's brewed here, pretty nasty stuff, but it gets a guy drunk easy" Keenan chuckled deeply and rested his hand on Alex's thigh.

Alex pushed his hand away.

"What's up? Don't you like me?" he huffed and set his can down with a metallic clank.

"You're drunk" Alex stated and moved further away.

"And you're sexy, prefect combo"

"Not really" Alex spoke icily.

"What? You gay or something?"

"No" Alex snapped.

"Then why aint you fucking me?"

"You're a fucking ass" Alex stood up and walked half way down the jetty before she felt Keenan's arm wrap around her waist.  
"Get off me"  
"I'll turn you baby"

"I don't need turning" Alex tried to push him away, her limbs soon turned to jelly with the impending fact that he might actually get what he wanted.

She felt the alcohol intoxicating her limbs and vision in no time.

She was tipsy.

Alex's hand beat at his chest, her ears throbbed with her rushing heart beat.

Stevie walked down to the lake, her footsteps crunched over the loose stones.

She heard the distant mumble of voices, then a scream.

"Alex"

Stevie ran the rest of the stretch and leapt down onto the jetty. Her heart beat hammered in her chest with desperation.

"Keenan" Stevie panted and grimaced at his thuggish form crushing Alex.

"What are you doing here?" he slurred and Alex broke away from his grasp. She stumbled to Stevie's side, her legs almost gave out

Stevie stood in front of Alex.  
"If you come a step closer, I'll..." Stevie took in his height and gulped.

What could she do?

"Do what?" he laughed.

Alex tugged on Stevie sleeve for them to make a run for it.

"Stevie, let's go"

Stevie sneered at Keenan, he'd tried to kiss Alex, that in it's self pissed her off.

"Do touch her again" Stevie growled.

Alex felt her chest well up with admiration for Stevie.

"What will you do? You're a girl, you can't do shit, apart from ride my dick, just like you do with Oscar" he snapped and lurched towards her. Stevie backed away, pushing Alex further away for protection.

"I can touch her all I like" Keenan shoved Stevie out of the way, her body tumbled back and he grabbed Alex by the arm and held her to him.

"Easy" his breath was hot on her neck.

Alex tired to pull away.

Stevie spotted a branch by her feet and slowly bent down to clutch it while he was to busy with Alex.

"Not really" Stevie slammed the branch into his ribs and he tumbled back, his flailing limbs tugged Alex down with him. She landed on her right side, the wood of the jetty winded her. Alex groaned and rolled onto her front, hugging her ribs.

Stevie slammed the branch across his cheek, but this proved to be a error on her part.

Keenan kicked her feet from under her, her body fell to the jetty, the branch flew from her grasp. He slammed his fist into her left cheek, anger rippled through Keenan's drunken senses, his only objective was to hurt Stevie.

Alex struggled to get to her feet, gasping and wheezing in attempt to regain the oxygen she'd lost.

Stevie kicked him off her, her left foot landed on his abdomen and made him roar out in a slur of words. She got to her feet in a rush, she snagged Alex's hand in hers and tugged her back down the jetty.

Stevie's feet were heavy in her attempts to get the pair of them away.

"Through here" Stevie took a sharp turn into the woods.

Their feet landed into the soft earth, breaking fallen twigs and kicking up the undergrowth.

The fresh tang of dew and soil left the pair with the sense of safety.

Stevie leant on a fallen trunk once far enough into the trees.

Alex doubled over and coughed roughly.

"I'm sorry" she panted and looked up at Stevie.

The moon was now high above them, shinning though the canopy, always moving with the wind.

The branches rustled and replicated the sound of crashing water. Crickets chirped and the distant cry of a bird filled the air.

"Why?" Stevie huffed, not really wanting to know the reason for her apology.

"I shouldn't have run away" Alex's voice was small.

Stevie chewed on her bottom lip and got to her feet.

Her thoughts were heavy with a question and if she didn't ask it, she would surely pass out.

"Do you want me?" Stevie ran a hand through her hair.

Alex nodded and looked around them, a distraction from witnessing Stevie's expression.

"Good" Stevie wrapped her arms around Alex. The Russo grinned.

Stevie pressed her lips to Alex's, the faint taste of beer didn't bother her.

Alex groaned and wrapped her hands in Stevie's hair, a tactic to press their bodies closer.

"Thank you" Alex spoke softly when their lips parted.

"What for?"

"Coming for me" Alex played with Stevie's hair and kissed her jaw bone.

"I couldn't let you enjoy that party on your own" Stevie smirked.

"I'm enjoying it now" Alex nuzzled Stevie's neck and kissed the skin of her neck, closing her eyes to let her other senses enjoy the girl.

"Me too" Stevie hummed.

Alex looked up and felt a speck of water drop onto her nose.

"It's raining" Stevie chuckled and soon heard the heavy patter of rain of the branches, like thousands of mice were running through the forest around them.

"I've never kissed in the rain before" Alex blushed and Stevie pinched Alex's chin.

"There's a first time for everything"

**Well, there you have it. **

**Thank you all for reading. **

**Sorry it's an abrupt end, but I'm never good at ending things. **


	8. NOTE

After forgeting my Livejournal account, I soon turned to tumblr

If you want more stuff about my FanFiction, plots and up coming fics, please, visit my profile and click on the Tumblr url (the writing one)

Thanks and I hope to hear from you guys.


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